From farm to fine dining: the impact of local sourcing on the competitiveness of Romanian luxury restaurants

Noémi Tordai (Pál) (), Beáta Tatár (), Alexis-Monica Moga () and Flavia Dana Oltean ()
Additional contact information
Noémi Tordai (Pál): George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Târgu Mureș, Târgu Mureș,Romania
Beáta Tatár: George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Târgu Mureș, Târgu Mureș,Romania
Alexis-Monica Moga: George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Târgu Mureș, Târgu Mureș,Romania
Flavia Dana Oltean: George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Târgu Mureș, Târgu Mureș,Romania

CACTUS - The Tourism Journal for Research, Education, Culture and Soul, 2025, vol. 32, issue 1

Abstract: Sustainability has become a defining axis of innovation and competitiveness in the global fine dining sector, yet its translation into operational and managerial practices remains uneven, particularly in emerging markets. This study examines how sustainable gastronomy practices are integrated within a high-end rural hospitality context, using Bethlen Estates Transylvania as a single embedded case study. The research adopts a convergent mixed-methods design, combining semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders (executive chef, operations coordinator, garden manager, and a local supplier) and a complementary pilot survey (N = 140) assessing consumer awareness and willingness to pay for sustainability in fine dining. Qualitative data were analysed through thematic coding, while quantitative responses were processed descriptively, with internal consistency verified (Cronbach’s α > 0.70).Findings indicate that sustainable fine dining in a post-socialist, rural context requires not only ecological and ethical commitment, but also creative adaptation to infrastructural and perceptual constraints. In this case, sustainability functions both as a competitive strategy and as a narrative the restaurant constructs about itself – one that connects authenticity, locality, and value creation. The study contributes to the literature on sustainable gastronomy by offering a contextualised model of integration between environmental responsibility, luxury experience, and community-based sourcing. Limitations include the single-case design and non-probabilistic sampling. Future research should consider comparative multi-case analyses across the Central and Eastern European region.

Keywords: sustainable gastronomy; Michelin Green Star; proximate luxury; Romania; Bethlen Estates Transylvania (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L83 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://cactus-journal-of-tourism.ase.ro/wp-conten ... 1_II.9-Pal-et-al.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bum:cactus:cactus-2025-20

Access Statistics for this article

CACTUS - The Tourism Journal for Research, Education, Culture and Soul is currently edited by CACTUS Editorial Team

More articles in CACTUS - The Tourism Journal for Research, Education, Culture and Soul from Bucharest University of Economic Studies
Bibliographic data for series maintained by CACTUS Editorial Team ().